MaryAlice Musings and More

  I often write my blog in the evening, sometimes in the afternoon but seldom if ever in the morning.   Today, as I am enjoying what I feel is "bonus time" on my porch I thought I would bring out my laptop and see what happens as I think about today.    I have quite a show all around me as I sit on my side porch.  The birds are very loud this morning,  I can see squirrels chasing each other around tree branches, the wind is orchestrating beautiful sounds with the leaves.   It rained last night and the air is still soft, but there is a coolness to the breeze that was not here yesterday.  There are leaves on the ground.  Yellow leaves.  The sun is breaking through every now and then.   My tea tastes just right and I am marveling at how many leaves turned colors while I slept well last night.   Earlier this morning I was thinking about the fall harvest,  I am feeling in tune with these seasonal pulls...

 Monday brought a hint of rain and more warmth.  It is almost tropical here, not a climate one evokes when thinking of Maine.  It allows me another delightful porch time in between my errands and tasks!  All of this with more and more color surrounding me.   Even in enjoying the soft, moist warmth of the day, I was restless.  I was up and down all night long,  not feeling well, and it was early this morning when I began to feel better.  So the day had a tug of sleeplessness and the omnipresent worry that are these days.   I took to roasting again.  This time apples.  I found an inviting Italian recipe for roasted applesauce and I roasted an entire baking sheet of apples.  The applesauce is delicious and I will make another batch to freeze tomorrow.   Then I took a nap,  it was just right for napping.  The softness in the air seemed to be like a blanket and I slept long and hard, and awoke with a fun dream ju...

What a weekend, warm breezes,  leaves turning colors so fast you can almost watch them turn, and reaping the joys of the fall harvest.    Yesterday I decided to drive up to "the county" of course the county is really only about a mile away from my house, but I decided to go to the farmer's market in Houlton and then drive US 1 to Presque Isle and visit the Micmac Farms and buy some trout.  The bonus of the drive - fall foliage which is almost at peak here in the north end!  The sun was shining, the sky blue and the colors were great.  I got to visit with Roz and Fred and Tessa at the market.  I picked up my Rosie the Riveter mask and headed for Presque Isle.   I plugged Micmac Farms into my google maps and off I went...there was great color and I got to see one planet before my plan was upended.  My gps was re-routing off of 1 and taking me south and east,  I was needing to go north and west.  After this re-routing I drove maybe ano...

 It is Friday.  Time is is so so warped in this time of chaos and the pandemic.  I used my new washer and dryer again today.  They are so quiet and so much quicker than the old machines that were in my house when I bought it.  I had never bought a washer and dryer before.  So at 70 I get to feel very grown up and my laundry gets done quickly and well.    My kitchen garden has served me well this summer, and now I find myself enjoying the light as it shines on the frosted and barely standing greens.   The spring and fall light is exquisite.  I am captured and delighted often.  I still am surprised.  I am so very grateful for these feelings that are evoked as I notice and appreciate and feel buoyed by these rays of light.   Today as I sat on my porch the green that enveloped me all summer long now has orange, yellow, gold and red interspersed between the green.  Some trees are almost all orange.  Some of ...

RBG died and I could not write.  I was with my dear friend Kathy and we were in Lubec, Maine.  A long planned safe time together-then one more horror of 2020 occurred the notorious RBG left her body.  The republicans could not contain their glee and the same guy that said 9 months was too little time to confirm a justice said he would move to confirm a new justice before the election!  It was all too much, so we hiked the coast trail at Quoddy State Park.     After coming home I still could not imagine what I could say, my heart hurt, the daily assault of such vicious lies continues and fall has arrived. The light is exquisite, the sky has comforting blues and puff clouds.  I have roasted sun gold tomatoes, made applesauce and simmered soups on the stove.  Today I went to the Blum-Evitt’s to press cider.  Rick and Sara arrived and Alisha, MaryLou, Ron and I were like an old (emphasis on old) well oiled machine.  The cider tastes great. ...

No Words.  What a women.  What a loss. 

Today my laundry is all done and it is CONSTITUTION DAY!   The National Constitution Center     Today is Constitution Day,   and only about 32% of students and adults can name the 3 branches of government - Legislative, Judicial and Executive.  In my idea of a new normal.  Civics classes would be held every year, bringing together current events,  legislative action (local, state, and federal),  how government works.   Since moving to Maine I have had more people tell me than ever how they distrust government and doesn't think it works.  (I think that they are talking about politics - which is not a branch of government).    What about amendments,  we sure are hearing people take a new and novel take on the first amendment - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the ...